The Dove and His Brother
by Lanane
Summary: Yuuya always knew that his hero complex would get him killed. But Sakuya was never supposed to be there when it did. BBL Spoilers. ICPSS Enabled
1. Chapter 1

Yuuya awoke to find himself in the trunk of a car. Or at least, that's what it felt like. In addition to being cuffed and gagged, his unknown "friends" had also provided him with a bag over his head, making it impossible to discern his surroundings. At the very least, he could tell that the engine of the supposed car was not running, but he did get a sense of movement. A sense of…rocking? Was he on a boat? Regardless, that didn't explain why he was there in the first place.

What had he done this time…? He tried to remember. He had just finished his latest mission, which involved outing a powerful Hawk Party politician on some seedy business or another. He was headed home to celebrate with Hiyoko's favorite flavor of convenience store ice cream… Ah, and then he heard a fair maiden's cry for help. Being a hero of justice, he could not let evil prevail over the innocent, so he went to investigate.

He found her in an alley, struggling with a man who was intent upon stealing her purse. When Yuuya approached, the man broke free and made a break for it, but Yuuya was faster. He grabbed the thief's arm, twisted it behind his back, and then slammed him into a dumpster, knocking him out cold.

Yuuya reached down to grab the stolen goods. "Your purse, miss—" but before he could turn around, he felt a sharp, painful shock between his shoulder blades, and the next thing he knew, he was gagged and bound with a bag over his head.

Yuuya groaned. _The woman_. He had his back to her. She _had _to have been the one that hit him with the stun gun. Leone had always warned him that his hero complex would get him killed. Hell, if he made it through this, Hiyoko just might kill him herself for letting her ice cream melt.

Yuuya shifted uncomfortably in his tiny confinement until he could get his legs out in front of him. Maybe if he could kick open the latch…

Unfortunately, his first attempt was answered not with freedom, but a hearty laugh. "Looks like the brat's finally awake." Yuuya didn't recognize the voice.

The trunk popped open and rough hands grabbed Yuuya by the back of his jacket, just to drop him unceremoniously to the ground. The hood was ripped off his head, finally giving Yuuya a glimpse of his surroundings. He was in some sort of small carport, like the kind on ferries. _Fuuuuuuuuuck. If this is really a boat… Fuck fuck fuck fuck me._ A building was one thing to escape from, but something surrounded on all sides by miles of water required much more creativity.

"Do you know just how much trouble you've caused me?" a new voice asked.

Yuuya stiffened. _No, anybirdie but him. _Yuuya scrambled to his knees and tried to rise, but the man that pulled him out of the car hit him in the back with the butt of a rifle, forcing him into a kneeling position. He looked up at the man in charge and nodded. "Mmphumph."

The man opposite him rolled his eyes and motioned to his crony. "Remove his gag."

Yuuya contemplated biting the goon as he removed the gag, but resisted the urge. Instead, he flashed his best smile at his adversary. "Salut, Monsieur le Bel. To what do I owe this pleasure?"

Le Bel grimaced. "That man you befouled was an important business partner of mine. How do you intend to make up for that?

Yuuya cocked his head. "Je suis désolé, Monsieur, but I haven't the slightest idea what you mean."

Le Bel's crony hit Yuuya in the face. "Spare me the lies, Sakazaki. I know you're a Dove."

Yuuya laughed, almost hysterically. _Shit shit shit, I'm fucked_. "Of course I'm a dove! And my mother as well. Even you, Le Bel, are a part of this magnificent species."

Yuuya got hit again. This time he tasted blood.

Le Bel tsked. "If you care not for yourself, perhaps you will cooperate if someone else were to take the blows for you?"

Yuuya's heart skipped. _Hiyoko. They have Hiyoko._

Two men came into sight with a bound and hooded hostage between them. But it was a man, not his cute little girlfriend. But he was too small to be Leone. Then who…?

The men forced their captive to his knees and removed his hood.

Yuuya's breath caught in his throat. _No no no. Even Hiyoko would have been better than this._ "Sakuya?!"

Sakuya's wide eyes flitted back and forth between Yuuya and his father, the terror and confusion plain to see on his tear-stained face. _He shouldn't be here._

"Why are you doing this?!" Yuuya shouted angrily. "He's your _son_!"

Le Bel spat in the direction of Sakuya. "You know better than anyone that's a lie, Sakazaki."

_He knows._ Yuuya felt numb. _He knows. How does he know? No one was supposed to find out..._

Sakuya shouted as loud as he could through his gag, trying to reach out to his father.

"Shut up," one of Sakuya's captor's commanded as he kneed the boy hard in the stomach. Sakuya doubled over, his shouts giving way to pained whimpers.

"Stop!" Yuuya cried out. "Leave him alone, he has nothing to do with this!"

Le Bel smirked. "So we get no reaction from you when your own face is beaten, but when it's your half-breed brother..." He waved lazily at Sakuya's handlers. "Keep at it. Just try not to kill him. We'll need him alive for a short while longer."

"Stop!" Sakuya tried to curl into a ball to protect himself, but with his hands bound behind his back, he was unable to defend his head. "_Stop!_" the brutes began kicking at every exposed part; his legs, his arms, his back, his face... "STOP! Okay, fine! I'm a Dove Party agent! And I'm the one who stole information on your friend that put him away for human trafficking. It was me! I'll tell you whatever you want, just let Sakuya go, please!"

Le Bel called off the onslaught with another wave of his hand. "Take the Dove to the interrogation room. Throw his brother in the brig."

By this point, Sakuya was unconscious (or at least, Yuuya hoped it was just that), so only one of his captors was needed to carry him off. He slung the poor boy over his shoulder and then muttered something about getting blood all over his favorite jacket. Sakuya's other captor helped Yuuya's to drag the furious spy into another room. They forced Yuuya to sit at a small table. A moment later, Le Bel took his seat at the opposite end.

"Well, Monsieur Dove Party, tell me what I want to know, and your brother may just make it out of here alive."

_Liar_. There was no way Sakuya was going to live through this. Maybe if Le Bel still cared about him, but after that display, it was clear that Le Bel's affection for the boy only went so far as Sakuya's ability to succeed him as head of the family. Not that it would matter if Le Bel _was_ telling the truth. The Party still didn't really trust Yuuya, both because he was so young and because his first real mission blew up in his face when Iwamine found him out. They didn't tell them anything more than what he needed to complete a mission; he didn't even know where the regional headquarters were. Leone either met up with him in another location to go over briefings, or they would bring him into HQ blindfolded. Maybe they predicted that he would end up in this situation, so they didn't tell him shit so he couldn't jeopardize the Party.

Le Bel continued. "Where is the Dove Party base located?"

Yuuya glared at the man coolly, and hoped that his countenance would not betray his ignorance. _Well, the best lie is based on truth_. "...The Aoiyama Office Supply store in Paloma City." Or at least, that's what he always joked with Hiyoko about. It was within a 5 mile radius of the store anyway, Yuuya supposed, and it seemed a good a spot as any for a covert operation. "There's a trapdoor in the back left of the inventory room that leads down to Central Command." _The more details you give, the more convincing you'll sound._

Le Bel studied Yuuya's face, as if to determine if he was lying or not. "And what is the Dove Party's next move?"

"...Kurohana. Shigure Kurohana." Kurohana was a known Hawk Party supporter. His was also the first name to come to Yuuya's mind. "We're investigating him until we find something we can use to take him out."

Le Bel raised an eyebrow. Yuuya wasn't sure if he believed him or not. After all, Kurohana was much bigger time than the creep Yuuya had managed earlier that day. "And how will the Party accomplish that? And at what date do they intend to make a move?"

Yuuya was no good at forming long-term plans like that, especially not on the spot. His lies were shaky enough as it was; if he said any more, Le Bel would see through the rouse and kill both him _and_ Sakuya. He had to switch strategies or die. "How do I even know that Sakuya is still alive? How do I know your goons didn't just slit his throat the moment you brought me in here? I'm not answering any more of your questions until I know that he's safe."

One of Le Bel's goons grabbed a fistful of Yuuya's hair and slammed his head on the table, snapping his glasses in two and giving him a dizzying headache. "You don't get to make the rules, mongrel," he grunted.

Le Bel chuckled. "Very well. I am a merciful man, and you've given me enough to look into at least. I'll allow you to see your dear brother while I verify the information you have entrusted to me. If it checks out, we'll interrogate you further. If it does not... I'll break each and every bone in your brother's body, until he begs me to kill him. All while you watch." Le Bel nodded to the men behind Yuuya. "Take him to his precious little brother."

Once again, Yuuya was being dragged to another part of the ship, still dazed from his head hitting the table. They went down a flight of stairs to what looked like a small lounge; there were couches and a large TV on one side, and a jail cell to the other side. He could see Sakuya curled up in the corner of the cell, shivering and whimpering. Yuuya let out a small sigh of relief. _He's still alive... for now._

While one of the lackeys unlocked the door to the cell, the other shoved Yuuya's gag back into his mouth. "Just 'cause you get to see him don't mean you get to talk to him. Don't need you brats talking over what's left of our game." They shoved Yuuya hard to the ground of the cell. He managed to turn at the last second so that he landed on his shoulder instead of his face, but the collision still hurt like a bitch and left him temporarily stunned. He heard the door lock behind, and shortly after, the two men collapsed on the couch on the other side of the room and turned the TV on to a soccer game.

_They aren't even going to watch us? Idiots._ Yuuya tested his handcuffs. The chain connecting them was just long enough to allow him to slip his hands down beneath him and under his legs. Once his hands were no longer behind his back, he removed his gag and pushed himself to his knees.

"Sakuya?" he whispered as he crawled over to his younger brother. He touched the boy's shoulder, but Sakuya flinched away, trying to curl into a tighter ball. "Sakuya, it's me, Yuuya." Yuuya tried to keep his voice calm and level. "I...I'm going to get us out of here, okay?"

Sakuya started sobbing, his choked cries audible even through his gag. For a moment Yuuya thought that their guards might come over to tell him to shut up, but all they did was turn up the volume on the TV. _Good. That'll make it easier to speak without them hearing us._ "Sakuya, we need to talk. I'm going to remove your gag, but you're going to have to be quiet, okay?"

Sakuya nodded, and his sobbing slowed and quieted. He finally turned his head to face Yuuya, and the older brother could barely keep himself from gasping in shock. Sakuya's left eye was completely swollen shut, and his nose was broken and bloody. His lip was torn open in multiple places and his hair was plastered with blood. This was not how his beautiful little brother was supposed to look, and the longer Yuuya stared at him, the more he felt he might start crying himself. He forced his focus away from his brother's face and onto the gag still in his mouth. He removed it carefully, trying his best not to touch any of the lesions caused by Le Bel's goons. "Sakuya..."

"Why is this happening to me?" Sakuya choked out, as quietly as he could. "Father called me a half-breed, and he made those men..." Sakuya started sobbing again, but managed to keep the noise under control.

"It's my fault Sakuya, I'm so sorry. I'll explain everything later, but for now we have to-"

"No! I demand that you tell me now, Sakazaki!" Sakuya was starting to get louder. "Why did Father say it was a lie that I am his son?"

"-Because you're not his son." Yuuya looked him full in the eye. There was no going back now. "You're not a Le Bel, Sakuya. You never were."

"That... That's a lie..." Sakuya whispered.

Yuuya shook his head. "It's true, Sakuya. Why else would your father have turned on you like that?"

"But why... I... I don't..."

Yuuya closed his eyes and leaned against the wall. He would have to do this fast. They had _maybe_ an hour before Le Bel realized that the information Yuuya had given him was fabricated. "The day my father died, our mother laid an egg. The very next day, Le Bel showed up and forced Mother to marry him. Le Bel wanted the egg gone, so I told him I'd get rid of it. But I kept it safe, and when Mother had a new egg with Le Bel, I switched the eggs. And then I... smashed Le Bel's egg." It was a terrible way to finally tell him, but Yuuya didn't have time to be tactful.

Sakuya forced himself to sit up. He sat there, just staring at Yuuya, trying to make sense of what his older brother had told him. "...The egg that you kept safe… Are you saying that was…me?"

"I'm so sorry Sakuya. You don't know how desperately I've wanted to tell you all these years. There was never a right time. And for a time I thought your life might be better if you never knew, and it was only my own selfishness that made me want to tell you. But you deserved to know. I'm sorry."

" Even if any of what you're saying is true, why... why would you even do something like that?"

"We can go over the why's and what's later, but for now we need to get out of here. I have a plan, but in order for it to work, I'll need your help. Can you do that for me, Little Brother?"


	2. Chapter 2

"I'm tellin' ya, those brats ain't gonna see the morning," Goon #1 said.

"Hey now, I think they'll at least make it to see the sunrise," Goon #2 responded.

"Well let's make a bet of it then. What do you say we put ¥500 down on-" He was cut off from a commotion from the cell.

"SAKUYA!" the older brother cried out. "Please, Sakuya, don't die, stay with me!"

"What the hell?" Goon #1 crossed the room and banged on the bars. "The hell is with the shouting?"

"You fuckers hit him too hard! He started seizing, and now he's not breathing... Oh god oh god, someone please help him..."

Goon #2 grabbed a riffle and joined his friend, pointing the barrel at Yuuya. "You move over to the other side." Yuuya nodded and moved to the far end of the cell.

Goon #1 opened the door and walked over to Sakuya, while Goon #2 came in and kept his gun trained on Yuuya. He squinted at the dove as if he was trying to figure something out. Then, "Hey... didn't we gag you before throwing you in here?"

But before Yuuya was given a chance to answer, the other guard screamed out in pain. Goon #2 whirled around to see what was happening, taking his gun off Yuuya. _Moron_. In an instant, Yuuya grabbed both sides of the man's head and twisted.

On the other side of the cell, Sakuya was in his own struggle. When the lackey had reached down to check his pulse, Sakuya had grabbed his arm and bitten down as hard as he could. The man punched Sakuya with his other arm until he let go. When Sakuya looked up again, there was a pistol three inches from his face. "You fucking bra-"

Yuuya swung his new rifle and connected the butt with Goon #1's head. _Don't fucking touch my brother._ He didn't stop. He swung again and again, until the man's blood spattered against Yuuya's face and he finally heard Sakuya's shrill cries of "Stop! _Stop!_"

Yuuya broke out of his trance and looked up. Sakuya was cowering against the wall, crying and hyperventilating, and staring at Yuuya in horror. "Sakuya?" Yuuya made a step toward his brother.

"Stay away from me!" Sakuya screamed. He turned toward the wall and buried his face in his arms, as if trying to hide.

It felt like someone was driving a stake through Yuuya's heart. _He thinks I'm a monster._ He looked down at the man whose skull he just caved in, at the man whose neck he just snapped, at the blood he was now covered in. _And he's not wrong._ "Sakuya, I'm sorry. He pointed his gun at you and I just... snapped. You shouldn't have had to see any of that.."

"You did not have to... did not have to... kill them..." Sakuya said, whispering the last two words.

_Yes I did._ "Are you hurt?"

"No... Not any more than I already was." Sakuya started to calm down.

Yuuya nodded. "Good. We can't waste anymore time then." Yuuya pulled out one of his hairclips and began picking the lock in the cuff on his left wrist; he had already removed his right cuff prior to starting their escape. After removing the left cuff, he turned to Sakuya. "I need to get yours too."

Sakuya didn't say anything. He just held his arm out to Yuuya and looked away. At least he didn't cringe when Yuuya touched his arm to get at the lock...

"Sakuya, you may want to look away for this part," Yuuya warned. He then started going through the pockets of the dead men.

"What are you... Now you desecrate the dead?" Sakuya asked with disgust.

Yuuya had to resist the urge to roll his eyes. "I need to find something we can use to get out of here, preferably alive. They clearly don't need anything anymore. And it's not like I do this _every_ time I come across a dead body."

"And how many dead bodies do you come across?!"

Yuuya ignored the question and continued his search. In addition to the rifle and the pistol, he found two mobile phones and one bullet proof vest. "Perfect. Here, you take the vest." He held it out to Sakuya, who just stared at it uneasily. He had taken it off the man with the broken neck so it wasn't covered in blood, but it had still come off a dead man. "Sakuya... Please put it on."

"But... what about you? There's only one..."

Yuuya sighed. "Sakuya, getting you out of here is my top priority right now. If I make it out alive too, well, that's just a bonus."

"'Just a bonus?' Sakazaki, you really should value your life more."

Yuuya smiled at him. "I think that may be the nicest thing you've ever said to me, Little Brother."

Sakuya flushed a brilliant red and grabbed the vest out of Yuuya's hands. While his brother fumbled to get the vest on, Yuuya took one of the phones and started to text, "Hey baby, can't wait to see you tonight ~ ;)"

"Is this really the time for something like that?"

Yuuya looked up and saw Sakuya looking disapprovingly over his shoulder. "Believe it or not, it's a distress signal." Yuuya locked the phone and slipped it into Sakuya's pocket. "Whatever happens, don't lose this phone."

Sakuya looked confused. "Why?"

"Because my good friends at the Dove Party should be tracking it now. As long as we have it, they'll be able to find us and get us out of here. And if we should get separated, well, I've already stated that your life is higher priority than my own."

Sakuya opened his mouth to protest but was cut off by drunken singing coming from the top of the stairs.

_Shit, the third guy!_ "Sakuya," Yuuya whispered. "Go over by the couch and hide. And toss me one of the cushions."

Sakuya hurried to the couch and crouched down. He reached up and grabbed a pillow and threw it back toward the cell. Yuuya caught it just as Goon #3 made his way into the room.

"Oi, fellas, the boss says the dove was lying. Looks like we get to pop some brats." The lackey went over to the couch. "Er, guys?"

_Shit, no, don't go over there! Check the cells first! Check the cells!_ Yuuya pressed harder against the wall, gritting his teeth in frustration as the thug made his way closer to his brother's hiding place.

Then the goon saw him. "What the hell?"

"No... Please..." Sakuya started to beg.

The lackey glanced over at the cells and saw his friends, dead. Yuuya was just out of sight. "Why you little-" The man pulled out a revolver and advanced again on Sakuya.

But he was too slow. Yuuya leapt toward him, and before the man could react, Yuuya shoved the pillow against his face, put the muzzle of his gun into it, and fired.

Sakuya started screaming. _So much for trying to be quiet._

Yuuya rushed over to him and threw his arms around him, with a hand over his mouth, and began to gently rock him. "Shh, it's okay Sakuya, it's okay. That was the third guy right? He was the last one, so now we're as free as a maiden's unbound hair. We're getting out of this. We're going..." He almost said "home," but then he realized that Sakuya no longer had a home to go back to.

Sakuya shoved him away. "Are you mad? That was not the 'last guy' by a long shot! There's bound to be the crew of this ship, not to mention my father's personal body guards, and _all_ of them will be armed and trying to kill us and-" Sakuya started hyperventilating again.

Yuuya grabbed his shoulders to help steady him. "None of that matters, okay? We've gotten this far already. I'm not letting you die tonight. Besides, I'm a hero of justice. Doing the impossible just comes naturally to me." Yuuya winked at him, but Sakuya just stared at him like he was insane.

Yuuya stood up and sighed. "We have to at least try. If we fail, we'll die, yes. But if we succeed, we'll live. If we just give up though, there's only one possible outcome." He reached out a hand to Sakuya. "Please."

Sakuya hesitated, but then took Yuuya's hand and rose to his feet. "A Le Bel never gives up- erk." He turned pale and looked away, tears brimming in his eyes again. It was going to take him a long time to fully accept everything.

Yuuya quickly changed the subject. "Sakuya, do you think you can handle a gun?" There were three guns, and Yuuya only had two hands. He held the pistol out to him.

Sakuya backed away and shook his head in horror. "I... I can't..."

Yuuya should have expected as much. After all, the poor kid had almost gotten shot in the face twice within the past half hour. It was only natural for him to be afraid of guns. "Sakuya, I'd feel better if you had it. You don't need to use it. Look, see this switch here?" He pointed to the safety catch. "If it's turned up like this, that means it'll shoot, but if you flip it down like this," he flipped the safety on, "then you don't have to worry about it going off on accident. See?" He pointed the pistol at the wall and squeezed the trigger. Sakuya flinched, but nothing happened. "Please Sakuya, just take it. And if you have to use it, just remember to take the safety off."

Sakuya hesitated, just staring at the gun with tears in his eyes. Yuuya slowly grabbed Sakuya's arm and lifted it up. When he didn't jerk it away, Yuuya gently pressed the pistol into his hand, and Sakuya wrapped his hands around the grip. Yuuya smiled and put his hand on his brother's head. "You're going to do fine, Sakuya." Sakuya's eyes never left the pistol in his hand.

Yuuya tucked the revolver into the back of his pants and grabbed the rifle. "We'll have to go now. The longer we wait, the more likely we are to get caught." Sakuya was still in a daze, so Yuuya grabbed his arm and hurried him toward the stairs.

They crept up to the top, and Yuuya checked around the corners before he led Sakuya up onto the landing. He felt a light breeze coming from the right, so he grabbed Sakuya and dragged him in that direction. If they could reach portside, they might just be able to steal a life boat and get out before anyone noticed their absence. And lo and behold, the hall broke way into open air, and a life boat was suspended over the railing just in front of them.

After making sure the coast was clear, Yuuya rushed over to the boat and started to unfasten the latches that held it in place. Just as he was about to finish, Sakuya saw a red dot materialize on the back of Yuuya's head.

"Look out!" Sakuya shouted as he tackled Yuuya. A gunshot rang through the air, the bullet barely missing the both of them.

Yuuya swung his rifle around, quickly found his target, and fired. The other gunman dropped, and Yuuya scrambled to his feet. "Change of plan, we need to move.," he said as he grabbed Sakuya's arm again.

"But what about the life boat?"

Yuuya hurried up a flight of stairs to gain better ground, Sakuya in tow.""We're sitting ducks until the boat is actually in the water. And then we'd still be a slow moving target." More bullets flew through the air as more of Le Bel's men poured out on deck. "Our only chance now is to outgun them." He knew how absurd that sounded, but he wasn't going to give up now. He knew that they were going to die, but he would take as many of these bastards with him as he could.

Once they got to the landing, they hunkered down behind some crates for cover. Yuuya peeked around the corner and fired off a few shots before hiding again, right before he was answered by a rain of bullets. Not wanting to feel useless, Sakuya clumsily flipped the safety off his pistol. He reached it around the side of the crate, clenched his eyes shut, and started firing. Of course, all his shots missed, and most of them didn't even go in the right direction. But he at least tried, and if nothing else, the barrage of errant bullets made the advancing men more cautious, slowing their movement.

Yuuya had managed to drop as many men as he could, but it wasn't long before he was out of bullets. Why the hell did Le Bel even have so many armed men on this ship? Yuuya leaned back against the crate and let out a defeated laugh. "I'm sorry Sakuya. I tried but... it turns out your big brother is worthless after all. You deserved so much better than this. I am so, so sorry."

Sakuya crawled over to him and threw his arms around Yuuya. He buried his head in his chest and started crying again. Yuuya hugged him back and started stroking his hair. Yuuya supposed there were worse ways to go than to be in the arms of the brother he thought hated him. He closed his eyes, ready to accept the death he had been courting ever since he joined the Dove Party.

The sound of footsteps echoed around them as Le Bel's men made their way up the staircase. Next came the sound of gunfire and... propeller blades?

Yuuya's eyes snapped open and lifted up to the sky. He let out an excited laugh when he saw it. "They came, Sakuya, they came! See, I told you I was going to get you out of here!" Sakuya looked up and gasped when he saw the helicopter.

The machine gun in the side of the copter rained death on what remained of Le Bel's men. Some tried to fire back, but nothing short of a rocket launcher could take out a dove party aircraft. Yuuya just prayed that Le Bel didn't have one stowed away anywhere. The door to the copter slid open and a rope ladder unfurled near where the boys were hiding. Hiyoko poked her head out and shouted down to them. "Hurry up you two!"

Yuuya started grinning like an idiot. In that moment, Hiyoko was the most beautiful creature in the world. Yuuya got up immediately and pulled Sakuya to his feet.

Sakuya looked confused. "Tosaka? What is she doing here?" He hadn't seen her in her in months. After all, she disappeared without a trace near the end of the school year.

"I'll explain all that later. For now, just go up. I'll be right behind you."

"A-are you sure? Shouldn't you go first?"

"Yes I'm sure." He was still smiling like a lunatic as he shoved his brother toward the ladder. "Now hurry up."

Sakuya tucked away his pistol and scurried up the ladder as fast as he could. Yuuya stayed behind to hold the ladder steady. Once his brother was safely inside, he started to climb himself. When he was nearly at the top, Hiyoko extended her hand out to him with a smile on her face. Yuuya smiled back and reached for her hand.

And it was at that moment that a bullet tore through Yuuya's abdomen.

It was strange. He almost didn't feel it, but the shock made him lose his grip on the ladder. As he started falling back toward the ship, the world seemed to slow down around him.

Until Hiyoko grabbed his wrist. That sudden jolt sent a wave of crippling, white hot pain through his body, its epicenter the gaping wound in his side. "Guh...Aaahh!"

Sakuya immediately pulled out his pistol and scanned the ship for the bastard that shot his half-, no, his _brother_. And then his eyes locked with his father's. Le Bel was standing outside the captain's cabin, holding a rifle and glaring up at Sakuya. A cascade of new tears fell on Sakuya's cheeks as he pulled the trigger over and over and over. But it was no use. He had long since expended all his bullets in the shootout, and Le Bel had already slipped inside the cabin.

"Yuuya!" Hiyoko screamed, snapping Sakuya out of his daze. He rushed over to help. Yuuya's legs had tangled in the ladder as he hung helplessly from Hiyoko's grasp, crying out in pain. Hiyoko was a strong girl, but the weight disparity between her and Yuuya was too much for her to get enough leverage to pull him up. It was all she could do to just not let go.

Sakuya reached down and grabbed Yuuya's arm and helped Hiyoko heave him into the copter. Yuuya's head ended up in Sakuya's lap as Hiyoko slammed the door shut and got something to staunch the bleeding.

"Fuck!" Hiyoko gasped as she realized the extent of the damage. Her head snapped toward the cockpit. "Leone, get us out of here! Hurry, or Yuuya will..." she couldn't finish the sentence. The helicopter shuddered forward and quickly reached maximum speed.

"Hi...Hiyoko,' Yuuya wheezed.

"I'm right here, Yuuya," she replied. She reached for and held his hand while she applied pressure to his wound with her other hand.

"I...I'm sorry... I let your ice cream melt..."

"That doesn't matter, baby," she choked. There were tears streaming down her face. "We're going to patch you up, and you can buy me all the ice cream I want, okay?"

Yuuya looked up at Sakuya's face with unfocused eyes. "Sakuya... You... you did so well. I'm so... proud of you."

"Yuuya..." Sakuya hadn't stopped crying since he had seen Le Bel.

Yuuya smiled. "You finally... said my name. That... makes me... happy."

"I'll say your name a thousand times! Just please, don't leave me now, Yuuya... Yuuya!"

Yuuya's eyes fluttered shut as his world went dark to a chorus of his own name.


End file.
